Relief & Development Alliance

How It All Began

Back in January we started a new ministry in a barrio called Cristo Rey, which translates Christ the King. Actually Cristo Rey is the name of one of the five sectors in a residential area near the city landfill of Tipitapa. A good many of the families living there came from the surrounding communities near the municipal landfill in Managua. Relocated from one landfill to another. These poor people can't escape the disgrace and filthiness of living near a landfill. The government relocated entire communities of people there because their barrios in Managua were either in a flood zone or the ground they were living on was contaminated by human waste. When I say contaminated, I mean saturated with human waste to a depth of 20 feet below the surface.

But before I get to far in to this story, I need to tell you how it all began, because while our first program formally began in January, our ministry in Cristo Rey actually began in 2009. Probably as far back as January 2009. We finished 2008, 50% down in our support due to the financial collapse. We were reeling trying to figure our how we could survive on 50% less funding and yet I heard the Lord speak so clearly to me, "get ready to expand your ministry". Needless to say, that was a big pill to swallow in light of our current finances, but one thing I've learned over the years is to wait upon the Lord, and don't get ahead of Him. At first, I had no idea of how we would be expanding the ministry, but after a couple of months I sensed we would be starting a feeding program. Without any extra money, all we could do was wait. When summer came, there was a group from a visiting church here that said they wanted to start a feeding program to one of the barrios near La Chureca (the landfill in Managua). I immediately knew this is what the Lord had in mind. So we did some of the groundwork to start a feeding program in a barrio called El Chorro. When we went back a month or so later we were shocked to find out the entire community had been relocated. So we had a decision to make, do we follow the people to their new location or do we start the feeding program to a new barrio in Managua. We felt that since we made a commitment to these families that we would follow them to their new homes in Cristo Rey.

Our first trip to Cristo Rey in September was quite an eye opener. We weren't prepared for what we would find. Approximately 2000 families were living there in severe poverty. They were living without power, drinking water, sanitation, medical attention or educational opportunities for their children.  They were making shelters out of tree limbs and black plastic and anything else they could find. It was beyond belief. While I said earlier there was no water, there was one gasoline powered pump that was trying to serve the needs of these 2000 families but the people had to buy the water. The people operating the pump would often sell the water at a premium making the water out of reach for many families. We talked to many of them who told us that their poverty was so severe that there were days when they would have to choose between having water or food. Another thing that is so compelling is the lack of proper sanitation. People use the bathroom in shallow holes in the ground, some of them lacking even a curtain for privacy. During rainy season, these shallow latrines would fill with rainwater and the contents would be lifted out and flow into the paths and walkways. It blew me away that nearly all of the children were walking around in this mixture of mud and human waste barefooted. You can't imagine the germs, parasites and diseases these children were living with. Another thing that struck me was the number of children that were obviously malnourished. You can always tell when you see the light streaks in their hair and those large distended stomachs.

 Everyone on our team was overwhelmed with the desperateness of the situation and the needs of people. We decided to do a census in order to gain vital statistics and know the best way to help the people. I hired 10 social workers and for four weeks they interviewed over 1275 households. We are still hoping this data will one day be used to give insight to a large foundation that will take a serious interest in helping these families.

 Our original sense to start a feeding program was confirmed after studying the data from the census. So in January 2010, without any funding coming in for the program, we stepped out in faith and begin feeding 100 of the most needy children. For many of the children this is the only meal they will eat today. By the end of our first week we had 130 or so coming and we were turning away kids. As of September 2010 we are feeding 150 children a day and still turning away 30 to 50 children per day. We pray that others will partner with us in this project. For a little less than 15 dollars a month I can feed a child a hot meal, 5 days a week. We could easily feed 300 to 400 children per day if we had the funding.

from the ground upAnother area of great need in Cristo Rey is shelter. In February we built our first home in CR. As of September 2010 we have built around 15 homes from the ground up. We have also remodeled about 10 homes. We are building homes out of lumber and tin with a concrete floor. At present, with the costs of building materials, these houses are costing us around 500 dollars each to build. While these homes are primitive, they are functional and keep the families dry and an add-onout of the elements. Sure, we could build better homes, but there are so many families in need, we find that this strikes a good balance with that need and the number of homes that we can build. I want to thank the many teams from the US who have come and helped build shelters for the people of CR. These homes are making a tremendous difference in the quality of life for these families.

they sleep on that ratty piece of foamOne other area of great need in CR is beds, or the lack of them. In a good number of the homes the children sleep directly on the ground or in some cases, little ratty pieces of foam or anything else they can find. At night the field rats come in and bite the children. It’s not just the rats; there are also venomous spiders and snakes that bite the kids as well. Also, sleeping on the ground is a bad setup for respiratory issues like pneumonia. So we’ve started buying beds for them. For less than 100 dollars I can buy a bed for a family and get them off the ground. I had a visiting Doctor tell me that this is the single most important issue that affects the quality of life for these children. 

Something we are looking at starting soon in CR is a micro-finance loan program. I love micro-finance. It is the most beautiful way for families to escape poverty with dignity.  To take ownership and pride in what you are doing. It’s a great motivator. These programs typically have a high payback rate, as most are successful in their entrepreneurial endeavors. These loans are usually 100 dollars or less. If anyone reading this would like to partner in something like this, please let me know. I’m anxious to get this started.

The Necessity of Strong Relationships and Partnerships

 One of our philosophies in working with communities like this is that we have a strong partnership and relationship with a local organization. That’s usually a local pastor and church. Our desire is for the people of the community to see the Lord meeting their needs through the local church. This has the effect of building the local church and it gives validity to the pastor’s ministry. It’s a win-win for both ministries. Our partner in Cristo Rey is El Farro Church, which means The Lighthouse. Plans are underway to eventually build the church a building that will serve as a house of worship and community center.

 A New Name and Focus in Ministry

 We’ve been successful in community projects like Cristo Rey in the past. We have partnered churches in the United States with local pastors and churches in Nicaragua that have made significant impact on the communities where they are located. But most of these projects have been much smaller in scale. Cristo Rey represents a new focus in ministry for New Life. Simply stated, it’s an on-going commitment to bring community development and help relieve suffering in a particular area. Our goals include, as much as possible: 

• To point every man to the Lord Jesus Christ and to bring honor and glory to Him. For He is truly every mans source and salvation.
• To partner with and strengthen the local church.
• To help relieve as much suffering as possible through humanitarian means (food, shelter, clothing, etc.).
• To help people escape the cycle of poverty through micro-loans and other means available.
• To help increase the quality of life through education, medical and dental clinics and proper sanitation. 

 As we look to the future and what opportunities lie in other impoverished areas we have realized the need to better define this ministry and our strategies for working in these areas. We’ve come up with a new name for this aspect of our ministry. It will be called New Life’s Relief and Development Alliance. It’s an alliance or partnership because we will always partner with a local church/ministry to achieve our above stated goals. Up to this point we’ve referred to this ministry as Cristo Rey because that’s where this emphasis began but going forward we will use New Life Nicaragua’s Relief & Development Alliance.

Out Heartfelt Thanks

Lastly, I want to thank everyone who’s had a part in this ministry. Many of you have come and worked alongside us in the hot tropical sun and donated your time and finances to build homes and feed the children. You have made a significant impact in these families lives. Please continue to pray for the people of Cristo Rey and for New Life, that God will give us the wisdom to go forward and minister to these precious people. If you’ve never been to Nicaragua, we would invite you to come and be a part of what God is doing here. We have lodging and transportation facilities and can make your trip a memorable one for your team and the people you minister to. Come and be a blessing and be prepared to receive a blessing in the process.

Thank You,

Tim Bagwell

Founder & President

tim@newlifenicaragua.org